Combined lamp socket cluster and connection plug



June 16, 1931. B. P. MCKINLEY 1,810,570

COMBINED LAMP SOCKET CLUSTER AND CONNECTION PLUG Filed Dec. 14,.1921

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in the drawings accompanying and torm- Patented June 16, .1931

ED STA res PAT- r 'BEnJ MIN r. MQKINLEY, orBnooKLYn, new Your, .Assienonro 'rrrn BBYANT unnoslasie res TRIO COMPANY, A CORPOBATIQN OF CGNNECTICUT COMBINED LAMP soeKEr onosrnaann coNNEcTIoN'rLuG application filed. December-14,1821. Serial No. seaese;

This invention relates to lamp socket clusters having connected thereto a plug or adaptor whereby to connect one or more electric translatingdevices to a single'rcut-out in an electric ci.rcuit,iand it is the Object of the invention to provide lamp socket clusters of this character in which the plugiis separably connected to thelamp socket-srand further to improve the general construction and arrangcmentof lamp socket clusters of this character to reduce the cost and facilitate the manufacture thereof, and'to'provide a socket cluster which is'novel and pleasing'in appearance. 1 .c v v r Another object of the invention is to provide a lamp socket cluster of this character in which the lamp receiving shells are encased and surrounded by aone pieceumolded insulating material constructed andarranged for the securing of electric connection plugs thereto of various forms withthe electrical connections between the plug and contacts of the sockets enclosed in said material, and to arrange said insulatingmaterial at the outer ends of the socket shells for theattachment' and supporting of shades therefrom.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a lamp socket clusterof. this charactor in which the insulating and encasing material oft-he. lamp sockets is molded with a recess therein arranged by the securing of the plug thereto to provide a closed chamber, with means arranged in said-chamber to place one of the lamp sockets into and out of electrical connectionwith the otherilamp socket ing a part oithis specification; Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved I combined lamp socket cluster and connection plug; Figure 2 is aflongitudinal sectional view. Figure 31's sectional view taken onthe lines 33 of Figure 2. a

Figure 4 is a perspective view of th'e'con neotion plug and showingthe means to "secure the same to the lamp socket encasing material;

Figure .5 is a perspective view of the lamp sockets with the integralinsulating material molded'around the same and to show the ar;

rangement for the connection or" the connection plug thereto. i

Figure dis a perspective view of a pair of lamp receiving; shells and showing the manner of electrically connectingthe same.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the end contacts of a lamp socket.

Figure? is a side elevation, partly in section, of the lamp socket member with the plug attached and showingthe means for placing one of the lamp sockets intoand out of electrical connection withthe plug;

Figure 8 is a cross sectionalview taken on the line 88 of Figure'7. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the disassembledparts of a switch for placing one of the sockets into and outof electrical connection with the plug; and Figure '10 is a plan view of the lamp socket member}v I Similar characters of reference. designate like parts throughout the different views of the drawings. i I

In the embodiment ot'the invention shown in the drawings a pair of metallic threaded lamp; receiving shells 11, 11, each shell being arranged at the inner end with an annular flange or lug l2 and secured together in electrical connection in angular relation to each bending the same laterally and securing such lips in juxtaposed relation by soldering or otherwise, as shownat 13in Figure 6. i

and encase the same with the electrical con;

angular relation to each other -The material .14 is formed wi'f h a recessed portionor pocket 15 arranging the body with three branches in two of which the shells 11, 11 are carried, said portion 15 having an opening 16 preterably in line with one of the sockets. Openings lTare arranged in a separating" wall between the recess and ends of the lamp sock- 1ets and located cent-rally of the sockets with the end of the openingsin the socket having enlargements 18,,and n which cpenlngs ter- Vith the shells 11, 11 in the condition shown in Figure 6 a -body of insulating mate- 'riall l is moldedabout said shells to surround tion means. The contact plate is bent with the portion having the perforation 20 engaging in the enlargement of the opening 17 and when secured in position the other end is bent to overhang the perforated portion, as shown at 21 in Figure 6 to serve as a resilient contact makerto be engaged by the end contact of an electric translating device, such as a lamp 1.

To arrange the lamp sockets as an adaptor for connection to a cutout in an electric circuitan electric connection plug is connected to the socket encasing material 14 in electrical connection with the sockets. The plug isshown of the type for connection to a threaded lamp. receiving socket and includes ablock or button of insulating material 24 arranged wit-h the usual outer and central feed or plug contact terminals comprising a threaded metallic shell 22 encircling the block and having the outer end flanged and spun over a shoulder on said block, as shown in Figure 2,'and a central contact 23 extending through a bore centrally of the block. The plug engages an annular seat or shoulder 25 arranged at the opening to the recess 15 in the socket encasing. material and secured therein and to the socket encasing material by tie members, shown in the form of belts or screws 26 passing through the plug and perforations in cars or lugs 27 extending inwardly from the plug shell 22 to engage in recesses28 in the end of the plug below the heads of the bolts to electrically connect the bolts and shell. The bolts extend through the recess 15, perforations in the wall of the insulating material between the recess 15 and end of one socket, and through the flange or lug 12 of said socket shell and retained therein in electrical connection with said socket. shell by threading into metallic pieces or conductors 29' at the inner side of the flange, as shown in Figure 8, or said bolts may be threaded directly into the socket shell flange 12.

To electrically connect the center contacts of the lamp sockets and plugs or button. the center contacts of the sockets are connected to a conductor block 30 in the form of aplate bent to conform to the shape and lie contiguous to the wall of the recess 15 with a portion extending across the opening of the recess and the plug. The end contact 23 of the plug is arrangedas a bolt or screw with the head of the bolt countersunk into the block 24 to constitute a contact terminal the bolt passing through the block and having threaded con nection with the conductor 30 in the recess 15 of the encasing material, as shown in Fig' ure 2.

By the foregoing described arrangement of plug and lamp sockets the insulating and encasing material of the socket shells may be readily molded in an integral one piece structure and the end or central terminal contacts of the lamp sockets may be readily applied thereto and the plug or button separably connected thereto in electrical connection with the lamp socket contacts.

To adapt and support a shade from the lamp sockets the e-ncasing material as it is molded is arranged with attaching means in the form of external threads or grooves molded in and consisting of said material, as shown at 31.

To place one of the lamp sockets into and out of'circuit with the plug switch mechanism is provided within the recessed portion 15 of the encasing material as shown in Figures 7 and 8. For this purpose the end contact of one lamp socket is connected permanently to the conductor member 30, said conductor extending only to the point 82, Figure 7. A contact member 33 extends laterally in the recess 15 from and in electrical connection with the center contact of the lamp socket 11. T 0 place said lamp socket into and out of electrical connection with the plug contacts, a contact or circuit maker and breaker 34 (Figure 9) is rotatably mounted. on a post extended from the center contact of the socket l1, asshown at 35 in Figure 7. This contact maker has a pair of opposite fingers 36 to be placed into and out of contact with the contact member 33-and the portion 32 of the conductor 30 and thereby place the center contact of socket 11 into and out of electrical connection with the center contact of the plug. To actuate the contact maker a disk of insulating material 37, Figure 9, is rotatablymounted on the post 35 ha-ving a plate 38 fixed thereto by rivets passing through perforations in said diskand plate, the plate being arranged with lips or nibs 89 to extend laterally from the disk and adapted toengage with nibs 40 extending oppositely from the contact maker 34 as rotative movement is imparted to the disk and plate in one direction and thereby rotate the contact maker. To operatively connect and disconnect the plate with the contact makerthe diskand plate are urged axially in a direction toward the socket 11 with the contact maker fingers in yielding engagement with the contact members 32, by a spring 41 coiled about the post 35 and confined between the disk 37 and a head at the end of said post. The contact maker is actuated by a chain or cord 42 connected to a slot 43 formed at one end of the juncture of a flange 44 with said disk, said actuator passing through an opening 45 in the wall of the recess portion 15 of the socket encasing matill ranged as detents to engage recesses in the contacts 32,33 and the encasing material, or the insulating material may be provided w th clrcularly arranged cam portions l6 as shown in Figure 10, with the contacts 32, 33 4 arranged on opposite cam portions, the shoulders 47 of said cam portions preventing retrograde movement o-f the contact maker.

' One end of the spring fill is connected to thedisk 37 and the opposite end to the post- 35, the tension of the spring being such as to urge the actuating disk 37 in one direction to retain it in a predetermined positiomand as the disk is rotated by the actuator 42 it will be moved from such position in a direction opposite to that in whiclrthe spring tends tomove the disk, such movement being lim-' ited by the connection of the actuator chain coming'opposite to the opening 45 when any further pull on the chain will be in a direction radially of thedisk and no further movement imparted to the disk. I

t will'be obvious that the switch mechanism may be arranged whereby instead of controlling the opening and closing ofthe circuit for one of the lamp sockets only, such switch will be adapted to open and close the circuit for either one or all of the lamp sockets.

Having thus described my invention I claim: I 1

'1. In a lamp socket cluster, electrically connected lamp receiving shells, a molded one piece body of insulated material with the shells-encased by and in embedded relation thereto uniting the shells and insulator body in an integral rigid structure, said insulator body having a recess molded therein at the inner ends of theshells with a wall of the insulating material interposed between said recess and the inner ends of the shells and having perforations therethrough centrally of the shells,'contact terminals carried in said I" perforations exposed centrally-of and in insulated relation to the shells, a connection plug embodying a block of insulating material havinga bore therethroughand a thread ed shell contact terminal encircling the same,

"1' tie members of conducting material extended through the insulator block of theplug and the wall of the insulating material of the body between the recess and one lamp receiving socket to unite the plug with the insulator body and electrically connect the shell of said latter socket and the shell contact terminal of the plug, a plate of conducting material electrically connecting the central contact terminals of the socket shellswithin therecess in the insulator body, a headed bolt extended through the bore-of the plug to constitute the centercontact thereof and having threaded connection with said plate, and-the insulator body at the outer end of the shells having external shade supporting threads molded therein. i

2. In an electric connection device, 'a'one piece molded insulator body arranged with recesses opening outward therefrom with a perforation in the separating wall of the recesses and havinga metallic shell contact terminal in one recess and encased by and in embedded relation to the insulator material to serve as a lamp receiving socket and having the inner end flanged inwardly, a contact terminalcentrallyjof said latter shell receiving recess and mounted in the perforation in the wallbetween the recesses, said terminal being c exposed to the interior of the recess and cone. stituting the end contact terminal for the socket she ll, a connection plug embodying a block of insulating material having a shell contact terminal encircling the same with a portion of one end flanged over an end of the block and a'contact terminal extended centrally therethrough, said plug being adapted to be seated'at the opening to the other recess to arrange said recess as a closed chamber, headed screws extended through the insulator block of the plug and insulator body and the shell flanges to unite the plug with said insulator body and electrically connect the shellcontact terminals of the plug and socket, and a plate connected with the center contact terminal within the one recess and v adapted for the electrical connection of the centercontact ofthe plug. 3

3; An electric connection device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the insulator body at the outer end of the socket shell carrying recess i of the insulatorbody is arranged with external threads molded therein for the removable connection and-supporting of ashade from at the juncture'of thefbranches with a perfora'tion in the separating wall between said recess in 1' the body and the recesses in the branches, electrically connected metal lamp receiving shell contacts in the branch recesses, a contact terminalmounted in the perforations ,inthe separating wall between therecesses to serve as center contacts for the lamp receiving contact shells, a connection plug embodying a block of insulating'material having a shell contact encircling the same and a contact member extended centrallytherethrough, said plug being adapted to be seated on the insulator bodyat the opening to the recess therein, screws extended through the insulator block of the plug and the separating wall between the recesses in the body and one branch to secure the plug to the insulator body and electrically connect the shell contact thereof with the shell contact in one b anch' recess and arrange the recess in the insulator body as a closed chamber, a conductor block within said chamber to electrically connect the cent-er contactsof the plug and one of the socket shells, a switch mechanism arranged in said chamber and operative from the exterior of the device to co operate with said conductor block and the centercontact of the other socket shell to open and close the circuit between the same.

5. An electric connection device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the insulator body is provided with a pair of lamp receiving socket shell carrying recesses arranged in angular relation to each other and the shells therein electrically connected, the screws to releasably connect the plug with the insulator body being operative to electric-ally connect'the shell contact terminal of one lamp receiving socket with the shell contact terminal of the plug, and the insulator body at the outer end of both socket shell carrying recesses arranged with external threads molded therein 'for the removable mounting and supporting of shades from the insulator body.

6. In a combined plug and light device, a body member of insulating material having oppositely disposed recesses therein, a plug member including a button of insulating material and a threaded shell contact embracing the same and flanged over a shoulder adjacent the outer end of the button, said plug member embracing the entrance to one of said recesses and arranging said recess as a closed chamber, a threaded shell contact enclosed in the other recess, screws extended through the insulator body electrically connecting said shells, a central contact in the shell engaging recess, a block of conducting material in the other recess to which the central contact is electrically connected, and a screw extended through the button of the plug member having threaded connection with the conductor block for electrical connection therewith and forming a central contact at the end of the button.

7. In an electric connection device, a one piece insulator body arranged with recesses opening outwardly and oppositely therefrom, a metallic shell contact engaged in one recess and entirely enclosed by the recess wall to constitute a lamp receiving socket, said shell having the inner end flanged inwardly, a contact mounted in the wall between the recesses exposed to the interior of the shell carrying recess to constitute the center contact for said socket shell, a connection plug embodying a block of insulating material having an encircling shell contact with one end flanged over the outer end of the plug and a central contact extended through and seated in the outer end of the block, said plug being secured to the insulator body at the outer end of the recess extendin opposite to the shell enclosing recess and arranging said recess as a closed chamber, tie members extended through the insulator block of the plug and separating wall between the recesses and the flanges of the shell contacts to releasably connect the plug to the insulator body and electrically connect the shell contacts, a contact piece connected with the center contact of the plug within the chamber, a contact maker movably mounted in the chamber to co-operate with said contact making piece and center contact of the shell to open and close the circuit between the plug and socket shell contacts, and means connected with said cont-act maker extended through an orifice in the wall or" the chamber for actuating said contact maker exterior of the device.

8. In a plug and socket device, a molded body of insulator material having a pocket and a socket opening oppositely therefrom with a wall of the insulator body separating the pocket from the socket, a threaded shell contact enclosed in the socket having an inturned flange at the inner end, a plug member embracing the opening to the pocket embodying a button of insulating material and a threaded shell contact encircling said button, said shell contact having inturned lugs flanged over a shoulder adjacent the outer end of said button, screws extended through said inturned lugs of the button embracing the shellcontact and flange of the other shell contact to electrically connect the plug and socket shells and operating to secure the plug member to the insulator body, a conductor member in the pocket, a contact mounted in an opening in the separating wall between the pocket and socket exposed centrally of the socket connected to the conductor member in the pocket for electrical connection therewith, and a screw extended through the button of the plug member having threaded connection with the conductor member in the pocket for electrical connection therewith and forming a center contact at the end of the button.

9. In a device of the character specified, an insulating body member having three branches, one of said branches having a pocket leading from the end thereof and the other branches having sockets and a wall of the insulator body separating the pocket from the sockets, a conductor member in the pocket, center contacts for the sockets, means passing through the center contacts, the separating wall and the conductor member to secure said contacts in electrical connection to said wall, an insulator button embraced by an externally threaded shell cont-act having-inwardlyextending lugs flanged over a shoulder at the outer end of the button and said button mounted at the entrance to said pocket, and a conductor member extended through said button and threaded into the conductor member in the pocket for electric connection therewith, screw shell contacts mounted in the sockets having inwardly extending flanges at the inner ends, screws passing 'through the lugs of the thread-contact embracing-the button and one of the socket shell contacts and having threaded connection with conductors engaging with the flange of said latter screw shell contact to secure the r 

